Located in northeast Vietnam, Halong Bay is an UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its breathtaking natural beauty. Magnificent green waters, countless islands, thick rainforests, and much more are here to explore in Halong Bay.
Limestone mountains and caves allow for great climbing opportunities, while boat tours let you take it all in without breaking a sweat. Taking a tour is one of the best ways to see the area, as you’ll be with a local guide who knows all of the best spots to show you.
We have all the top Halong Bay cruises right here, so buckle up and get ready for the ride! See sure to see our reviews of Ha Giang Loop Motorbike Tours and Hanoi City Tours.
Best Halong Bay Tours
| Halong Luxury Day Tour- Six Hour Cruise | From Hanoi: 2-Day Halong Sapphire Cruise with Balcony Cabin | Amazing Sails - Luxury Halong Bay Day Trip from Hanoi | |
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| Departure: | Hotel pickup available / Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi | WXGJ+7Q3, Ngọc Châu, Tuần Châu | Hotel pickup and drop-off available |
| Start: | 8:45 AM | 11:00 AM | 8:00 AM |
| Duration: | 10 hours | 2 days | 12 hours |
| Includes: | Round trip transportation, set menu lunch, tour guide, day cruise | Overnight accommodation, Entrance and sightseeing fees, sunset party, cooking class, bottled water, meals | Air-conditioned vehicle, lunch, all fees and taxes, English speaking guide, boat trip - sharing traditional boutique cruise |
Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Halong Bay Cruises For 2026
- Halong Luxury Day Tour- 6 Hour Cruise
- Halong Bay cruise 2 days 1 night
- Amazing Sails – Luxury Halong Bay Day Trip from Hanoi
- Halong Bay Deluxe Day Tour
- Ha Long Bay Cruise Day Tour From Hanoi
Halong Bay Cruise Reviews
1. Halong Luxury Day Tour- 6 Hour Cruise
- Duration: 10 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off available / Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi
- Departure Time: 8:45 am
- Includes: Round trip transportation, set menu lunch, tour guide
Let’s start things off on the right foot with the Halong Luxury Day Tour – 6 Hour Cruise! If you’re looking for a fantastic way to see Vietnam’s natural beauty in-depth, we can’t recommend this one enough.
This well-organized tour is one of the most convenient ways of exploring the area, with seamless transportation and professional guides.
Lasting 10 hours long, you’ll have the entire day for learning and seeing some of the most beautiful sites in the world. Your day starts off by getting picked up either at your accommodations or at a location in central Hanoi. It’s all up to your preferences.
Your transportation there is an 18-seater coach with air-conditioning and large windows for prime viewing. AC is crucial, because it can get sweltering hot over here. Head along the highway to Halong Bay, taking a rest around noon to stretch your legs.
Expand To See More Once you arrive to the bay, you’ll receive a safety briefing on what to expect and how to stay safe. Get ready for a 5-hour journey that will take you through uninhabited islets, including Trong Mai/Cock Fighting and Thumb/Ngon Tay Islet. The former looks like two roosters fighting or “kissing”, while the latter looks like a giant thumb emerging from the water. Speaking of the waters, they themselves are incredible to enjoy. When the timing is just right, there’s a layer of a mystical fog that sits on top, creating an otherworldly experience. You’ll be served a delicious lunch to enjoy as you cruise the emerald waters. Arrive at Surprising Cave around 1:45, where you’ll get to explore a bit before going either kayaking or by bamboo boat in Luon Cave. After, ascend Titov Peak for unmatched panoramic views of the bay. More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
2. From Hanoi: 2-Day Halong Sapphire Cruise with Balcony Cabin
- Duration: 2 days
- Departure: WXGJ+7Q3, Ngọc Châu, Tuần Châu
- Departure Time: 11:00 AM
- Includes: Overnight accommodation, English speaking guide, entrance and sightseeing fees, sunset party, cooking class, bottled water, meals
Perhaps the idea of a bay cruise sounds wonderful, but you’d like to go all-in and really explore the area more in-depth. If that sounds like fun to you, check out the Halong Bay Cruise 2 Days 1 Night tour. For what you receive, the price can’t be beat, and the quality is consistently high.
Right from the start, you’ll have all transportation and transfers included so there’s no need to worry about booking transportation on your own. What you pay for includes all of the necessities as well, so there’s no need to shell out more cash for meals, beverages, and things like that.
This tour is one where you do get quite a lot of input in what you do, but if not, you’ll just go on the previously-planned tour schedule. The guides are very friendly and offer all kinds of intriguing facts and anecdotes relating to the landmarks you come across.
Expand To See More You’ll be picked up at your accommodations in the morning, and head over to Ha Long Bay. Day one includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with coffee, bottled water, and more. You’ll be kayaking, visiting caves, and just seeing everything the bay has to offer. The next day includes a cooking class where you’ll learn about traditional Vietnamese dishes. After, celebrate life and your adventures with a beautiful sunset party! If you’re on the hunt for a comprehensive tour in the Vietnamese rainforests, this one should be at the top of your list. You’ll learn and see so much, while learning from a local who knows all of the hidden gems most tourists don’t get to see. More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
3. Amazing Sails – Luxury Halong Bay Day Trip from Hanoi
- Duration: 12 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off available
- Departure Time: 8:00 am
- Includes: Air-conditioned vehicle, lunch, all fees and taxes, English speaking guide, boat trip – sharing traditional boutique cruise
If you’re looking for a traditional experience that will make you feel like you’ve traveled back in time, look no further. The Amazing Sails – Luxury Halong Bay Day Trip from Hanoi is majestic, beautiful, and unlike any other in the world.
Lasting 12 hours long, they sure pack in a lot – from kayaking to venturing through caves there’ll never be a dull moment. Start off your day by getting picked up at 8 am from your hotel or other accommodations. The air-conditioned vehicle is spacious and comfortable, no matter what the weather is like that day.
Your guide speaks great English, and is always happy to answer any questions you may have. Set off right to the Ha Long Bay, enjoying interesting stories and sightseeing along the way. Once you arrive to the bay, you’ll receive a safety briefing and hop on your cruise along the magnificent green waters.
Expand To See More As you cruise along between the towering limestone mountains, you’ll be served a delicious lunch! After fueling up, arrive at Surprising Cave where you’ll experience ancient formations of stalagmites and stalactites. After walking around, step into either a kayak or bamboo boat in Luon Cave, where you’ll see the gorgeous lagoon from a more personal perspective. You can choose to sunbathe on the deck of the boat instead, if you’d like. Everyone loves visiting Titov Island afterward, complete with a sandy beach and stunning bay views. If you feel up to it, hike up to the top for incomparable panoramic views or take a dip in the waters down below. More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. Halong Bay Deluxe Day Tour
- Duration: 12 to 13 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off available
- Departure Time: 8:30 am
- Includes:Air-conditioned vehicle, lunch, all fees and taxes, bottled water, English-speaking guide, kayaking and bamboo boat
Perhaps these tours sound inticing to you, but you’re on a tighter budget. If so, you have to check out the Halong Bay Deluxe Day Tour. You aren’t going to find anything for this level of quality for this great of a deal anywhere else!
Lasting 12 to 13 hours depending on weather, traffic, and other external factors, this is a full day of adventuring and seeing some of the prettiest places in the world. That’s certainly saying a lot, considering how beautiful Vietnam is already.
This tour is another excellent choice for those who are on short trips and want to pack in as much as possible.Start off by getting picked up from your hotel or other accommodations in the Hanoi Old Quarter zone. They’re very punctual and always arrive anywhere from 8:45 to 9:00 am.
You’ll head straight to Halong Bay, where you’ll hop aboard a vessel and cruise through the brilliant green waters to Tuan Chau Island.
Expand To See More The staff will serve you a tasty traditional Vietnamese lunch made with seafood caught fresh right in the area! Munch on as you see famous islets like the Incense Burner Islet, Fighting Cock Islet, Thumb Islet, among others. You’ll then arrive to Surprising Cave, which is the largest and arguably most beautiful in the bay. After this, paddle around by kayak or bamboo boat at the Luon Cave, where the natural limestone mountains dip low to create a secluded spot that has remained practically untouched for thousands of years. You’re sure to burn some calories throughout these explorations, so head over to Titop Island and relax on the beautiful beach before partaking in a fun sunset party on the sundeck! More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. Ha Long Bay Cruise Day Tour From Hanoi
- Duration: 6 to 12 hours
- Departure: Pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: 8:30 to 9:15, depending on pickup spot
- Includes:Lunch onboard, restroom on board, all entrance fees & tickets, kayaking & swimming, English speaking guide, round trip shuttle bus from Hanoi to the boat & returns
The Ha Long Bay Cruise Day Tour – Best Selling: Kayaking, Swimming, Hiking & Lunch is another tour comparable to the one we just covered. It’s affordable, it’s customizable, and it covers a lot of landmarks in a short amount of time. Put on your sunscreen and sense of adventure, because you’re in for a real treat with this one!
Just like with the others, you’ll be picked up in the morning from your accommodations. However, the time does depend on where you’ll be picked up from.
If you’re staying in Hanoi Old Quarter, then it’ll be around 8:30 am. If you’re getting picked up from the Tuan Chau Marina Harbour, it’ll be around noon. First stop of the day is the Hanoi Opera House, which was erected by the French colonial administration in the early 1900s.
You’ll then set off to Tuan Chau Marina Harbour where you’ll learn about keeping safe onboard and what you can expect. Cruise along the serene bay which has been carved away over centuries by the wind and water.
Expand To See More See countless series of towering limestone islands and islets emerging intermittently from the sage waters. Arrive to Surprising Cave, which looks like you’ve landed on another planet! Complete with massive stalactites and stalagmites, it features colored lighting and interesting pathways to add to the experience. After this, visit Titop Island, where you can choose to swim below or climb to the top for breathtaking panoramic views of the bay. No matter what, you’re going to be able to revel in this natural beauty and learn all about the history of this majestic place. More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
Halong Bay Cruises, and How to Book One You Won’t Regret
The first morning on the water is the one that gets you. Fog still sitting low, a few hundred limestone islands standing around in the grey, and the only sound is your boat’s engine and somebody upstairs doing tai chi badly.
Then you round a headland and there are forty other boats anchored in the same cove, and you remember this is one of the most visited places in Vietnam. Both of those things are true at once. That is the trip.
What a Halong Cruise Actually Is
Let’s set the expectation first. A Halong Bay cruise is a floating hotel that motors slowly past extraordinary scenery, stops at a cave and an island, and feeds you a lot of seafood.
It is not a wilderness expedition and it is not a party boat, whatever the photos suggest. The good ones are calm, scenic, and a little bit lazy in the best way.
Roughly 500 licensed boats work these waters, so “a Halong cruise” covers everything from a $25 day tour to a $980 suite on a six-deck ship with a pool. Knowing which end of that you want is most of the battle.
Who loves it. First-timers who want the iconic Vietnam postcard, couples, families with kids old enough to kayak. Who does not. Anyone allergic to crowds and fixed schedules, or anyone expecting to be alone with nature.
Day Trip or Overnight, and Which Bay
Two decisions decide your whole trip. How long you stay on the water, and which bay you sail.
The day trip
A day cruise runs six to eight hours, picks you up in Hanoi around 8 a.m., and has you back by evening. Entry-level Viator day trips start around $23, standard ones run $40 to $70, and a nicer day boat is $90 to $120.
It is a long day with a lot of bus time bolted onto both ends. You will see the headline sights and you will not see a Halong sunrise, which is the single best thing the bay does.
The overnight
One night on the water is the sweet spot for most people. You board around midday, eat, kayak, watch the sun go down over the karsts, sleep anchored in a quiet cove, and do a cave or a beach the next morning before heading back.
Budget overnight cabins run $105 to $160 per person, mid-range with a private balcony is $145 to $250, and luxury is $250 to $450. Two nights costs roughly double and mostly buys you deeper, quieter routes rather than new activities, so book it only if you actively want more water time.
Halong, Lan Ha, or Bai Tu Long
The name “Halong Bay” gets used for three connected bays, and which one you sail changes the crowds more than the scenery.
- Halong Bay proper. The famous one, the busiest, the most boats at every stop. Sung Sot Cave, Ti Top Island, the Fighting Cocks islet on the old passport stamp. First-timers usually want this.
- Lan Ha Bay. South, reached through Cat Ba Island, same limestone-and-emerald landscape with a fraction of the traffic. Runs $20 to $50 per person cheaper at the same quality thanks to lower entry fees. Clearer water, more actual swimming.
- Bai Tu Long Bay. Northeast, the quietest of the three, fewer operators, slightly higher prices for that solitude.
Here is what I would do. If it is your first time and you want the classic shot, sail Halong. If you have been before or you just want calm water and no armada around you, book Lan Ha. Honestly, the landscapes are close to identical, so you are choosing a crowd level, not a view.
The Safety Thing, Straight
You need to read this part before you book, so I am putting it up front instead of burying it.
On 19 July 2025 a tourist boat called the Wonder Sea, Vietnamese name Vịnh Xanh 58, capsized in a sudden violent thunderstorm near Dau Go Cave. Thirty-nine people died, including a lot of children. It was the deadliest boating accident in Vietnam in over twenty years.
The boat had passed inspection in January that year and was not overloaded. A flash storm hit fast, passengers reportedly asked to turn back, and the crew pushed on toward the next stop. That is the whole tragedy in one sentence.
There was a second incident too, an electrical fire on the Signature QN-7269 in February 2026, no mass casualties but it rattled the industry again.
So Vietnam overhauled the rules. Under a new 2025 technical regulation, every cruise vessel now carries AIS, VHF radio, and GPS, a 24/7 maritime monitoring centre in Quang Ninh tracks each registered boat, wooden hulls are being phased out for steel by 2030, and departures are automatically suspended when winds top Force 6, about 39 km/h. Prices ticked up 5 to 10 percent to pay for the retrofits, which is a trade I will take.
What this means for you is simple. Do not book the rock-bottom cheapest boat to save fifteen dollars, check the forecast for your dates, and if the operator sails into weather the port has flagged, that is the operator to walk away from. A cruise that cancels for a storm is doing its job, not ripping you off.
When to Go
Go October to April. The weather is cooler, drier, and calm, which is exactly what you want on open water.
October to December is the pick of that window. Pleasant, dry, good light, low storm risk.
Avoid June through September if you can. That is Vietnam’s northern storm season, the rain comes in fast and hard, and it is the same weather pattern behind the 2025 disaster. If your only option is summer, build in a spare day so a weather cancellation does not blow up your whole itinerary.
Winter, December to February, can turn grey and cool with a haze that flattens the karsts. Still beautiful, just pack a real jacket and lower your sunset expectations a little.
What It Costs and How to Plan
Base cruise prices are honest enough. The extras are where the bill grows.
Budget the base fare plus another 15 to 30 percent for the stuff that is not included. Drinks are the big one, with beer at $3 to $5 and wine marked up hard. Then tips, roughly $3 to $5 per person per day for crew and $5 to $10 for the guide, plus any spa treatment or extended kayaking.
A “$145” mid-range cruise realistically lands north of $200 a head once you have had a few beers and tipped. That is not a scam, it is just how the pricing works, so plan for it.
Getting there is the other line item. Most people come from Hanoi, and the expressway now makes it about a 2.5 hour drive to the main ports at Tuan Chau and Halong. Some operators like Hermes, Signature, and Athena fold a shuttle into the fare, so check before you book a separate transfer.
A few operators worth knowing by name across the tiers. Cozy Bay and Garden Bay at the budget end, Bhaya Classic and Paradise Sails mid-range, Heritage Binh Chuan and the Paradise Elegance for luxury, and Stellar of the Seas if you genuinely want the six-star pool-and-butler experience and have the wallet for it.
One booking trick that actually works. Booking through your Hanoi hotel often beats the online rate by 20 to 30 percent, because they hold allocation and clear it at a discount. Worth a five-minute conversation at reception before you commit online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Halong Bay safe to cruise after the 2025 accident?
Yes, with sense. The bay overhauled its rules in 2025 and 2026, adding vessel tracking, a monitoring centre, and automatic weather suspensions above Force 6 winds.
The real risk was always sudden storms in summer, so cruise October to April and skip any operator that sails into flagged weather. Book a reputable mid-range boat over the absolute cheapest and your odds are very good.
Day trip or overnight, which is worth it?
Overnight, if you can spare the time. The day trip bolts hours of bus time onto a rushed few hours on the water and skips the sunrise, which is the best thing here.
One night gets you the quiet evening, the anchored sleep, and a calmer morning cave before the day boats arrive. It is the difference between seeing the bay and actually being in it.
Halong Bay or Lan Ha Bay?
Halong for your first visit and the iconic sights, Lan Ha if you want the same scenery with far fewer boats and cleaner water for swimming. Lan Ha also runs $20 to $50 cheaper per person at the same quality.
You cannot really go wrong. You are picking a crowd level, because the karst landscape is nearly identical in both.
Is a Halong cruise good for families with kids?
Yes, it is one of the easier trips in Vietnam to do with children. The water is warm, the kayaking and cave stops are beginner-friendly, and the boats are stable at anchor.
Pick a boat with a swimming or beach stop and cabins that fit four, and confirm the minimum age for kayaking with your operator. Lan Ha tends to have more open swimming spots than central Halong.
How far is Halong Bay from Hanoi?
About 2.5 hours by road now that the expressway is finished, running to the ports at Tuan Chau and Halong. Most cruises include or arrange the transfer, so you rarely need to sort it yourself.
If you would rather fly, Van Don airport is closest but has limited routes, so nearly everyone still routes through Hanoi’s Noi Bai and drives.
Do I need to tip on a Halong cruise, and how much?
Tipping is expected but modest. Budget around $3 to $5 per person per day for the crew and $5 to $10 for your guide, usually dropped in a shared box at the end.
It is rarely included in the fare, so carry small Vietnamese dong or dollars. Nobody will chase you for it, but the crew work hard and the tips matter to them.
Sites Seen
Comfort
Value
The Halong Luxury Day Tour is our Editors Choice for the best Halong Bay cruise
